Spring, is it really here?

I love spring, when 44 degrees feels like t-shirt weather.  It feels so nice out, I just had to get outside for a bit today.  My winter sowing experiment has at least yielded a few sprouts.  Apparently, mustard greens are the hardiest of the seeds I planted, with one little spinach sprout following after.  It gives me hope for my other seeds at least.  The kids and I played in the dirt today a bit, planting some lettuce and carrots.  They love to garden and their eyes lit up when I pulled out their garden bags from last year.  They got their own hand tools for Easter and somehow, they didn't all get lost.  Their gloves are a different story. 

mustard greens

The wonderful weather inspired me to take a stroll with the baby, something that hasn't happened since the fall.  Not too many other signs of spring around.  There are still little piles of snow here and there and lots of mud.  I did see some plants pushing up through the mud.  Maybe spring really is here to stay.  This is my first spring in this area, so I really don't know what to expect.  Everyone here makes it sound like spring is pretty tough.  I don't think they know what "tough" is.  My hometown got another winter storm yesterday, and they still have a few feet of snow in the yard.  If this is tough, I'll take it.

I wasn't quick enough to catch a picture of a wild rooster that was in the neighbors garden.  He flew up on top of her house and ran out of sight.  He and another rooster or two hang out in the pine tree in the yard.  I've seen a bunch of hens hiding out under a neighbors pine tree, under the low hanging branches.  They sure make a racket when they take off.  I wondered out loud to my husband if they would start laying eggs anytime soon.  We can't keep any chickens here, since we're renting, so I thought maybe I'd "domesticate" the wild chickens that are everywhere.  When he finished looking at me like I was crazy, he decided it is probably illegal.  I should look into it I suppose.  Wouldn't that be a fun way to keep backyard chickens?